Posted on July 9, 2009
Okay, so I got one response on my 50 Book Challenge (thanks Todd!) so I will continue to write about what I am reading.
My first completed book for 50 Book Challenge starting July 09, is Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. Gaskell is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and if you like Austen, I highly recommend her work. Sadly, Wives and Daughters is incomplete because she died before she could finish it. However, it is still worth reading, it is easy to make presumptions about where the story would have gone if she could have finished it.
The story is about a country Doctor and his daughter in 19th century England. Molly Gibson’s mother died when she was very young, and now she is 17 and her father is starting to feel the effects of trying to raise a daughter alone at a time in her life where young men are going to start forming romantic attachments to her. His first step is to send her off to live with an invalid patient of his, who just happens to be the wife of a squire. She is lonely with her two sons out of the house, and needs the company. And Molly needs the maternal attention. While Molly is staying with them, Mr. Gibson discovers a woman that could take on the role of stepmother. It just so happens, this woman also has a daughter Molly’s age. There are complicated romantic attachments, intrigues, and 19th century social commentary. Which are all a few of my favorite things!
Posted on July 1, 2009
Its official. As of today I have failed my 50 book Challenge. Oh well.
The final count was exactly 20. Sadly, that’s not even two books a month. In my defense, I became obsessed with the Twilight series, and read all four book five times each. Yes, I realize, I have a problem.
My final book for this year was a suggestion from Ellen, and a fabulous suggestion indeed. Girls In Trucks by Katie Crouch
follows a southern debutante as she unsuccessfully navigates her way through the complicated world of love. Sarah is unexceptional in every conceivable way but one, she has a knack for picking the wrong guy. I really enjoyed this novel, primarily because Crouch’s writing style was so unique. Its difficult to describe, she used a number of different writing techniques, but it didn’t feel disjointed. There were a lot of characters, but they were all so solid that it didn’t get confusing or busy. All in all, it was a fun read. (It was also a quick read, I think I finished it in three hours.)
Anyway, I am going to try the 50 book challenge again this year, starting with Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. She is a Jane Austen-esqu author. I previously read North and South by her, and I loved it. So I was thrilled when I discovered Wives and Daughters online FOR FREE! (The link above takes you there, in case you are interested.) There is also a BBC mini-series by the same title that is a lot of fun.
For those readers I do have (and I realize I have probably lost a few because of my lack of consistency with posting) if I should continue to write reviews of the novels I am reading, or should I just list them? Or do you not even care? Just wondering.
Posted on April 24, 2009
I finished another book! Yay me!
Dark Side of the Moon by Sharrilyn Kenyon.
Okay, so, my mom loves to give presents. I think this is well established. And, she tends to choose her gifts kind of like Amazon suggestions: “If you liked this book, than you might like these five books.” You get the idea…I hope.
Anyway, so I assume my mom chose this particular book because I liked the Twilight series, and this book was about vampires. Okay, I get that. But, OMG! This was what John would call a “Bodice ripper” that was disguised as a book about vampires. There were sex scene’s in this novel that, quite frankly, made me blush. The rest of the novel was a convoluted attempt to create a mythology which included Greek Gods, vampires, and vampire hunters. She also throws in demi-gods and shape shifters for good measure. I couldn’t keep up! There was SO much going on that it got to the point where I just stopped trying. This was the first book in a series, and I can ensure you I won’t bother with the rest of them, so I didn’t feel the need to keep track.
In addition, the dialogue was completely absurd. I have never read a book where there were SO many cliche’s. The 3000 year old shape shifting vampire hunter actually said to his tabloid reporter girl friend, “Don’t worry, Babe.” And told her his previous girl friend got “wiggy.” It just didn’t fit with the rest of the mythology or the characters Kenyon was trying to create.
Sadly, this was NOT a good book. I would NOT recommend it to anyone. I only give it one star, because even though I didn’t like the book, I was able to finish it which is at least something.
Posted on April 21, 2009
I am still working on my 50 Book Challenge, but the going is quite slow, and I am not sure I am going to make it. I just finished novel #17, and I have until July to finish. I would like to ask the internets permission to count rereading books I have read before. For example, I have now read Twilight and New Moon three times each. So, does that count as one book, respectively, or can I count that as 3?
Anyway, I just finished Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.
Frank and April Wheeler are a married couple raising two kids in 1950’s suburban Connecticut. They are seemingly a perfect couple, but in reality they are both unfulfilled and desperately lonely. Frank has a dead end and boring job in the same company his father worked at his entire life. Frank took the job to support the inconveniently pregnant April, and “got stuck.” April was an aspiring actress, who gave it up for the husband and the family and the boring life in the suburbs. The novel opens with April trying to realize her dream as an actress by participating in a local theater production. The show is a flop, and she begins to tailspin, reevaluating her life and the decisions she and Frank made after she got pregnant. In their attempt to save their relationship, they come up with a scheme to move to Europe, but are thwarted with disastrous consequences.
I liked this novel, primarily for the eloquence of the prose and Yates ability to offer a snap shot of the social morays of this time period. I also enjoyed the complexity of the relationships between the characters. Nothing is black and white, no one is good or evil, and no one is either completely happy or miserable. I was trying to describe the book to John, and he said, “Its a man hater book.” And even though Frank can be quite the jerk, April is just as bad. But they are also fascinating characters, which makes the novel an interesting read. I give it three stars.
Posted on February 11, 2009
As many of you know, I committed myself to Shelfari’s 50 Book Challenge. I did this, with the idea that it wouldn’t be that hard for me to finish a book a week. I mean, I don’t mean to brag, but I am a REALLY FAST reader. In college, I was a literature major, and was expected to finish 4-5 books a week. And, I was one of those students who actually READ everything that was assigned.
I, of course, didn’t’ take into account all the life that would be getting in the way of my book a week goal. I also didn’t take into consideration that I wasn’t going to really like some of the books I have tried to read. However, I have still been reading, and have read 16 (and a half, still trying to finish “The Duchess”) books. We are on week 35. Sigh.
The last two are:
The Girls that Went Away by Ann Fessler.
This book was written by a woman who had been adopted in the 50’s. She always wondered why her biological mother gave her away, so she did several studies and discovered some truly horrific things. Her book focuses on the women of the 50’s, 60’s, and early 70’s (before Roe vs Wade) who gave children up for adoption. What she discovered was a subculture of sexual promiscuity, social expectations, and double standards where these women had little to no choice when it came to keeping their babies. Her book covers all aspects of unplanned pregnancies, and she allows woman who gave their children up a chance to share their story. In addition, she weaves in startling facts and statistics based on what was going on in our country during this time period.
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure if I would, considering I have never had an unplanned pregnancy and I am not adopted. It was still fascinating. I think this is an important book for woman to read. It gives an excellent pictures of what these poor women went through and why.
Firefly Lane by Kirstin Hannah
Bring kleenex. I CRIED, literally tears streaming down my face uncontrollably, for the last 200 pages of this book. It also scared the crap out of me, on many many levels. But, given all that, I really enjoyed it. Sometimes the books that make the biggest impression are those you have a visceral reaction to. I loved and hated the characters; their actions made me happy, sad, and angry.
The story is based on the lifelong friendship of two very different woman, and how their friendship influenced every major decision they made. And yet, I bonded most with the relationship of mothers and daughters. One woman has a terrible mother who pops in and out of her life, leaving a lasting scar each time. The other woman has a loving, caring mother who tries to help both girls become women she can respect. (I know this is vague, but I don’t want to say too much in case you want to read the book.) Then, top it all off with one of them has a daughter herself.
I don’t think I am alone when I say, this book made me want to call up my Mommy and apologize for how horrible I treated her in middle school and high school. I also wanted to hug my little girl, give her a thousand kisses, and then put her in a time machine so we could skip right over her teen years.
In any account, it was an excellent book. I hope I am not saying too much when I say a lot of the parts that weren’t about Mothers and daughters reminded me of Beaches, which is of course one of my favorite movies. I also have the movie that will surely be made from this novel, cast in my head.
Posted on December 17, 2008
I fell off the wagon for awhile with my “book a week” promise. But, I am back on! I was wading my way through The Duchess, which is an excellent book, but it is a biography, which makes it a little on the dry side. Then I went to see the movie Twilight. Well, needless to say I have been the last two week reading all four books in the series. I just finished the last one two nights ago.
All I have to say is “Vampires with superpowers,” and no more. However, in case that doesn’t hook ya, I will also add, “eternal love,” “werewolves,” and “secret societies.” Recipe for the ultimate teenage goth’s fantasy! Now, I realize I am not a teenage goth. But I was once (sort of, wanna-a-be anyway), and I still find these situations completely fascinating.
So, the writing wasn’t Pulitzer worthy, but man were they fun books! I highly recommend them if you want to read for some cheap thrills. I give them 4 stars, because vegetarian vampires with superpowers rock my world.
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